The Physical Oceanography of Bute Inlet, British Columbia

Distributions of salinity, temperature, and oxygen of Bute Inlet based on twelve oceanographic surveys between the period August 1950 to July 1953 have been examined. The salinity structures of the shallow water during the various seasons can be classified under two main groups, one occurring at periods of small river runoff and the other at periods of large river runoff. In general, the surface salinity increases to seaward and with depth during all seasons. The surface water along the western shore is almost always observed to be less saline than along the eastern shore. The salinity of the deep water is 30.6 to 30.8‰ during both periods. The seasonal fluctuation of salinity at the surface is well marked but below a depth of 60 feet no obvious cycle exists. The temperature distributions can be divided into two main groups, winter and summer. During both seasons the surface temperature generally increases to seaward. The temperature gradient in the upper layers during the winter is positive (increasing v...